Chabad Lubavitch news stories on Newser

Murdered Brooklyn Rabbi, Wife to Be Buried in Israel

Wesley Oliver — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 11:50:00 CST

The Brooklyn-raised rabbi and his wife who were murdered in the Mumbai attacks will be buried in the Holy Land, the Daily News reports. Gavriel Holtzberg, 29, had wrapped the bodies of slain hostages in prayer shawls before being shot himself. The couple’s orphaned son marked his second birthday yesterday...

Who Needs CNN?

Wesley Oliver — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 09:47:52 CST

Witnesses of the Mumbai terror attacks didn’t wait for CNN to get information: They captured it themselves, the New York Times reports, the latest example of citizen journalists using technology to put themselves on the frontlines of news. “I felt I had a responsibility to share my view with the...

Rabbi, Wife Slain in Mumbai Jewish Center

Wesley Oliver — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 14:32:44 CST

The massacre in Mumbai has left at least four Americans dead: A Brooklyn-raised rabbi and his wife, and a Virginia man and his teenage daughter. Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg, 29, and Rivka Holtzberg, 28, were slain at a Jewish center they helped run. Family and friends in Brooklyn have one speck...

Mumbai Jewish Center Siege Over; Hostages Dead

Matt Cantor — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 08:00:07 CST

A huge explosion shook Mumbai’s Jewish center as Indian commandos ended a siege on militants holding foreign hostages there, MSNBC reports. A local rescue service reported that all hostages inside were dead, including two Americans. Local news reports said the mission was over, with militants either dead or captured after...

Brooklyn Rabbi, Wife Trapped in Mumbai Attacks

Rob Quinn — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 02:04:22 CST

A young Jewish couple from Brooklyn were taken hostage in the Mumbai attacks and many fear the worst, the New York Times reports . Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and his wife, Rivka, ran the well-known Chabad center, a popular haven for Jewish travellers. They were seized along with at least six others...

Hostages Taken at Mumbai Jewish Center

Jason Farago — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 06:08:03 CST

Among the targets of the ongoing terrorist attacks in Mumbai was Chabad House, an important center for Jewish visitors to Mumbai. Conflicting reports suggest that at least four armed men are holding several hostages, including a rabbi. As the Financial Times reports, the targeting of a Jewish location may suggest...

Putin's Top Rabbi Lifts Sect to Power

Greg Atwan — Tue, 08 May 2007 11:23:34 CDT

A rabbi from an ultra-orthodox Jewish group is ultra-powerful in Russia's shrinking oligarchy, using Putin's patronage to raise funds and revive Judaism across the country, the Wall Street Journal reports. But critics charge him with selling his soul for the cozy position, downplaying anti-Semitism and becoming an apologist for the...